Stanford University Study also Reaffirms Public Charters Better Serve Disadvantaged Student Populations
WASHINGTON, D.C.-National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) president and CEO Nina Rees issued the following statement on the study released today by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University, which found that public charter school students in 25 states along with New York City and the District of Columbia are outperforming their traditional public school peers in reading while making significant gains in math:
“Since the release of CREDOs last national study in 2009, the public charter school movement has taken the issue of quality seriously. Many states have also strengthened their charter laws, with an emphasis on quality and accountability. The findings released today show that this focus is producing tremendous results for students. Looking at 25 states across the country along with New York City and the District of Columbia, CREDO’s study found that students in public charter schools are outperforming their traditional public school peers in reading, adding an average seven days of learning per year, while having made tremendous improvements in math since 2009. Importantly, these findings reaffirm the research which has consistently shown that public charter schools are better serving students most in need of high-quality schools special education students, low-income students, students of color and English-language learners. With more than 6,000 public charter schools serving 2.3 million students across the country, a number of research studies have sought to analyze the academic performance of students who attend charter schools.
“In April 2013, the NAPCS released a report summarizing the prominent research studies published since 2010 that examined academic performance for students who attended public charter schools compared to traditional public schools. Of the 14 studies published included in this report, three national studies and 10 regional studies from across the country found positive academic performance results for students in charter schools compared to their traditional school peers. An additional study released in May 2013 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that students attending public charter high schools in Boston outperformed peers in Boston Public Schools on numerous indicators of college-readiness. ”
For further analysis of the CREDO report, please visit The Charter Blog.
About the National Alliance
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit our website.
